(Text of the Divine Discourse delivered by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba on the occasion of Mahasivarathri Celebrations on 13th March 2002 in Sai Kulwant Hall, Prasanthi Nilayam)


With the crescent moon dancing, the matted locks waving, the coot waters of the Ganga flowing between, with the eye in the middle of the forehead shining, the purple neck gleaming like the sheen of a black berry, wearing serpent bracelets, and a snake skin belt, the entire body smeared with Vibhuti, with the forehead adorned with kumkum dot, lips red by the juice of the betel, Gold embellished diamond ear rings dangling, with whole swarthy body glowing, the Lord of Kailasa appeared in person. 
(Poem)

Embodiments of Love!

The entire earth is permeated by magnetic power. All the living beings and objects that are present on this earth also have this magnetic power. The rivers that flow, the wind that blows, the flowers that blossom, etc., everything is endowed with magnetic power. The rivers flow on earth because of magnetic power. The magnetic power is all-pervasive.

People with Bhakti and Prapatti (devotion and faith) visit temples, which have the magnetic power. The flowers and fruits that people offer with devotion in temples also have this magnetic power. As thousands of devotees gather here, our Mandir is suffused with magnetic power. The all pervasive magnetic power shines with added brilliance in this Mandir. This magnetic power is ever on the rise as there is a continuous flow of devotees.

Even an iron nail turns into a magnet because of its association with the magnet. In a similar manner, people who visit the Mandir are filled with magnetic power. It is only from the magnetic power of the devotees that the Mandir gets charged with mighty powers. Every individual is filled with magnetic power from head to toe. But man does not realize his innate potential and visits temples for, blessings and grace. One does not acquire any special powers from temples. What one gets is only the reflection of one's own magnetic power. People visit various pilgrimage centers like Tirupati, Haridwar, Rishikesh, etc. The power that is present in pilgrimage centers is only due to the power of devotion and faith that pilgrims carry in their hearts.

God is the embodiment of all forms of opulence and so also is man. Sampada (wealth) Aiswarya (authority/ control), Yashas (fame), Shakti (power), Jnana (wisdom) and Ananda (bliss) - all these are the gifts of God. They are latent in every man, but he is losing them, as he is unable to put them to proper use. Divinity shines resplendently in man when he makes proper use of these Shadaiswaryas (six forms of wealth). There is divine effulgence on the face of every man.

As Venkataraman mentioned, every man is a combination of materialization, vibration and radiation. The human body with all its limbs and muscles is known as 'materialization'. The life force (Prana Shakti) is known as vibration. These two are coordinated by the Atmic power known as radiation. All the divine powers are latent in man. But man is not directing his attention on them. He identifies himself with the body, but in reality he is not the body. Otherwise, why would he say, 'this is my body'? When you say, 'this is my body', you are different from it. Man is deluded by thinking that he is the body. He is losing his divine effulgence because of his mistaken identity.

The vibration symbolizes the breathing process. Sometimes, people say, 'my breathing is not proper'. It shows that you are different from it. Pashyannapicha Na Pashyati Moodho (he is a fool who sees with his eyes yet does not recognize the reality). Man is immersed in ignorance as he identifies himself with something from which he is totally different.

Radiation is divine and that is man/s true nature. This is the magnetic power which is latent in every man. It is the same divine power that is present in temples, which attracts all. Magnetism is the nature of all temples.

There is gold in every man. Iron and various other metals are also present in him. The Vedas declare, Raso Vai Saha (God pervades the body in the form of essence). What is the significance of Lingodbhava? God is known as Hiranyagarbha (one having a golden womb). The golden Rasa (essence) present in His womb undergoes a vigorous churning process and assumes the shape of a Linga. Linga means a symbol or a sign. (Showing the golden Linga that He created in the beginning of His Discourse) Bhagavan said - As you can see, it has no distinctive features like eyes, face, etc. It has neither feet nor head. It can be placed in any manner. It symbolizes the formless Divinity. Leeyathe Gamyathe Ithi Lingaha It is the basis of everything. The golden Rasa after assuming the shape of a Linga emerges out. You need fire in order to melt gold. Similarly, the fire within melts the gold and moulds it into the shape of a Linga. Hence, the difficulty at the time of its emergence. It has to assume the form of a Linga and come out. You feel Swami is put to a lot of Badha (suffering) at the time of Lingodbhava. It is not really a Badha (suffering) but a Bodha (teaching) for you. Is it not natural for a mother to undergo labor pains while giving birth to a child? Will any mother curse her child just because she is put to a lot of suffering? She always prays for the well-being of the child. In the same manner, Swami does not feel any pain at the time of the emergence of Linga. I don't consider it a Badha. I am happy that I am imparting a significant Bodha to so many of you. God has absolutely no suffering, no worries and no difficulties whatsoever. But you feel that Swami is undergoing a great pain and suffering. In order to facilitate the formation of these Lingas, My body has turned into a magnet. It is for this reason that I was finding it difficult to walk for the last three days, as My feet were getting stuck to the ground because of magnetic pull. Likewise, whatever objects I touched were getting stuck to My hands. It was not a trouble for Me. It is but natural because My whole body became magnetic. Such power of attraction cannot be experienced by all. It is only in Divinity that you find such highly powerful magnetic force. These things cannot be revealed to all. Every man has such a divine magnet in him. But there are certain limitations. Divinity has no limitations whatsoever. Though Divinity transcends all limits, you try to impose certain limitations on it.

Magnetic power is present everywhere. The air, the water, the food, the sound, everything is suffused with magnetic power. On deep enquiry you will know that magnetic power has no limitations. Daivadheenam Jagatsarvam (the whole universe is under the control of God). Sathyadheenamtu Daivatam (Truth is the essence of God). Everything is contained in the principle of Truth. When you uphold Truth, all the divine powers will manifest in you. Tatsathyam Utthamadheenam (Truth'is controlled by the virtue of noble souls). Who is a noble soul? He is one of peace, love and compassion. Utthamo Paradevata (such noble souls are verily the supreme divine).

Man goes on pilgrimages in search of God, as he is ignorant of his latent divine power. One who recognizes the latent divine power need not undertake any such spiritual practice. A Russian lady by name Brigitte was full of magnetic power. Whenever she walked on the road, iron filings would get attracted to her. She was not allowed to enter any shop because the items there would get attracted to her. It is not enough if one has magnetic power, one should be able to keep it under one's control. She had no control over her magnetic power. She could not even have her food. Consequently, she died after a few days. Though she had the divine magnetic power, she died a premature death because she did not have the capacity to control it. The one who drives a car should also have the ability to control it. If he has no control over the vehicle he is driving, he is sure to meet with accident. Our body can be compared to a magnetic car. The eyes are the headlights, mouth is the horn, mind is the steering and the stomach, the petrol tank. The four objectives of human life ‑ Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha are like the four tires. You should fill these tires with the air of faith. The pressure of air filled in the front tires should be different from that is filled in the rear tires. The petrol (food) that is filled in the tank (stomach) should be pure and sacred. When the petrol is impure, there could be a blockage. Hence, Sathwic food is recommended. The water that we drink should also be pure and unpolluted. Only then will the 'car' be in good condition and will take us to the destination. Man's life will be redeemed only when he understands the principle of his body.

"To be born is a worry, 
to be on the earth is a worry; 
world is a cause of worry and
death too; entire childhood is a worry and
so is the old age; life is a worry,
failure is a worry; 
all actions and difficulties cause worry; 
even happiness too is a mysteriousworry.”     
(Telugu Poem)

Happiness or worry is based on your feelings. If you consider the body to be a cause of worry, it will be so. On the other hand, if you consider it as sacred, it will be a source of happiness for you. In fact, there is nothing bad in God's creation. Everything is sacred and full of magnetic power. Body is like a temple with magnetic power. So, whatever actions you undertake should be sacred. When you do unrighteous activities, you have to face the consequences. Spiritual practices like japa and Dhyana confer only mental satisfaction. They cannot reveal the magnetic power. There are nine paths of devotion. They are: Sravanam (listening), Kirtanam (singing), Vishnusmaranam (contemplating on Vishnu), Padasevanam (serving His Lotus Feet), Vandanam (salutation), Archanam (worship), Dasyam (servitude), Sneham (friendship), Atmanivedanam (Self surrender). Atmanivedanam comes only after Sneham. Hence, you should try to cultivate the friendship of God. Without Sneham, you cannot reach the state of Atmanivedanam. Until you reach Atmanivedanam, you cannot understand the all pervasive principle of divine magnetic power. Whatever activity you do, magnetic power is the basis.

Temples are nothing but Ayaskantha Mandiras (centres of magnetic power). Whatever power you experience in a temple is only due to the presence of magnetic power. You feel there is a great power in Tirupati. It is not the power of Venkateswara Swami, the presiding deity. It is the power of devotees' faith and surrender. Hence, there is tremendous magnetic power.

Ramayathi Ithi Ramah (that which attracts is the principle of Rama). God has the power of attraction. Take any temple for instance. Only the magnetic power is present there. That is the power of Divinity. It can be experienced only in temples and nowhere else. What is the reason? The deities installed in temples, the water used for Abhishekam, the flowers and the yellow rice used for worship, everything is full of magnetic power. That is the reason why people are attracted to temples.

Our body is also like a temple with magnetic power. Hence, it has to be utilized for sacred purposes. When you give room to evil traits like anger, jealousy and hatred, much of your magnetic power is wasted. The sense of smell, touch, taste, etc., is but the effect of magnetic power. A program that is being broadcast in Delhi or Madras Radio station can be heard here simultaneously. What is responsible for this? The magnetic power carries the sound waves. No scientist or engineer can understand this. Can a scientist explain the process of digestion and blood circulation in the body? No. In every being, the heart beats for a particular number of times. Which scientist can explain this? All this is ordained by God. Doctors feel proud of their achievements. But in fact, nobody can achieve anything without Divine Will. They know how a heart beats, but they do not know why it does so and who makes it function. It is not because of human effort but by the Divine Will that the body functions. But man is not able to understand this because of his ego and sense of doership. No doubt, human effort is required but nothing can be achieved without Divine grace. Here is an example. God has created paddy. But you cannot eat it as it is. You have to remove the husk, boil the rice and prepare the food. This process of refinement is known as Samskara. It lies in the human effort. But creation is in the hands of God. Everybody should have firm faith in God. The ignorant do not believe in the existence of God. Even such people agree that there must be some transcendental power behind this creation. That very power is God without whom man cannot exist.

As I have said earlier, man is the combination of materialization, vibration and radiation. With the help of radiation (Atma) and vibration (life­force), man is able to carry out his life using materialization (body) as the instrument. Body is the basis for performing action.. It symbolizes Karma Yoga. Vibration helps man to think. Radiation is responsible for the functioning of vibration and materialization. This is referred to in the Vedas as Prajnanam Bra ma (Brahman is Supreme Consciousness). This is not just awareness, but Constant Integrated Awareness. It exists everywhere all the time totally. It has no distinction of day and night. It transcends the three states of Jagrat (waking), Swapna (dream) and Sushupti (deep sleep). It is one and the same in all the three periods of time. Ekam Sath Viprah Bahudha Vadanti (Truth is one, but scholars refer to it by many names). This is the divine magnetic power. It can assume any form like Rama, Krishna, Easwara, etc., depending on the feelings of devotees. All such names and forms are your imaginations, but in reality God has no name and no form. Take for instance, water. It has no specific shape, but assumes the shape of the vessel into which it is poured. Likewise, air is formless, but assumes the form of a balloon or a football when it is filled in them. The names and forms are of your own making and are bound to disappear one day or the other. Hence, hold on to the fundamental principle of Divinity.

Embodiments of Love!

You may forget anything, but not God. Forgetting God amounts to forgetting yourself. In ancient times, people lived for 110 and 120 years because they led their lives constantly thinking of God. They never suffered from any diseases. They used to eat simple food. They had no knowledge of vitamins and proteins. They never took tablets like Vitamin A, Vitamin B, Vitamin C, etc. They would get the required vitamins and proteins because they offered their food to God. You can achieve anything in life if you strengthen your faith in God. In fact, you will become God yourself. You are not different from God. Understand this truth and attain the state of oneness. (Showing the golden Linga to the devotees Swami said), "As you all can see, the size of this Linga is rather big. There is a meaning behind this. This is five Tulas in weight. In every human being, there is the golden essence of five Tulas known as Hiranyagarbha. You may be aware that there are some medicines with gold content. Gold represents energy in man and is the cause of his radiance. The gold content within each body is of this only. It is this golden essence that makes the eyes see, ears hear. There are thousands of taste buds in our tongue and lakhs of light rays in the eyes. The eyes, the tongue and other sense organs derive their strength from the magnetic power present within. The golden essence pervades the entire body as a shield of protection. There is a thin layer of white skin just beneath the normal skin which acts as a protective sheath for the blood. There will be bleeding only when the white skin is cut. God has kept the white skin below the normal skin for the sake of protection. Whatever God does is for the welfare of all. This is the meaning of the prayer, Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu (May all the beings of the world be happy!). The Bhagavata says,

"The stories of the Lord are most wonderful and sacred in all the three worlds. They are like sickles that cut the clinging creepers of worldly bondage." (Telugu Poem) The Gopikas had unwavering faith in Lord Krishna and thus could redeem their lives. Faith is the magnetic power that attracts Divinity. Though the mothers-in-law abused and the husbands were angry with them, the Gopikas never rebutted. They were neither angry nor were they afraid. The sweet form of Krishna was imprinted on their hearts just like a picture printed on paper. Can the picture and paper be separated from each other? No. Likewise, Krishna was firmly installed in the hearts of Gopikas. Such firm faith and devotion is the result of merits accrued over many births. In order to attain God, one should have love and compassion. The taste of love is beyond description. It is highly sacred and makes one forget oneself in ecstasy. Sage Narada described love thus:

Yallabdhwa Puman Ichcharamo Bhavathi 
Trupto Bhavathi. 
Matto Bhavathi 
Atmaramo Bhavathi

(Having attained That, man gets total satisfaction, fulfillment, ecstasy and Bliss)

When you chant the Divine Name with love, you forget yourself. Man attains fulfillment only when he becomes the recipient of Divine love. In order to attain Divine love, develop love in you more and more. When you have the magnetic power of love in you, whatever you study will get imprinted on your heart. If you do not have the magnetic power, you can never succeed in your endeavors, however hard you may try. You may study day and night, but without any result. Whenever you try to study, you will be overpowered by Nidra Devi (goddess of sleep). Kumbhakarna will put you to sleep. On the other hand, when you develop the magnetic power in you, you will never feel sleepy while studying. Kumbhakarna will dare not look at you.

Students today waste a lot of time They try to study only at the time of examinations. "0 man! Do not feel proud of your education. If you do not offer your salutations to God and think of Him with devotion, all your education becomes useless."

Think of God at least once in a day. Do not pay heed to what others say. Someone may come to you and say, there is no God. Then immediately, you should ask, "Whose God? Is it my God or your God? Your God may not exist for you, but who are you to deny the existence of my God?" With such firm conviction, you should argue with them. But unfortunately today, people have become blind having lost the eyes of faith. Develop faith and sanctify your lives. Faith alone can protect you at all times and under all circumstances. Do not give room for bad or ill feelings. Do not harm others. Do not criticize others. If you make others suffer, you will suffer much more. Not only you, even your family) will have to face the consequences Never forget this truth. God will confer well being on you and your family only when you aspire for the welfare of others. Develop noble feelings, think of God and make proper use of your time.

Bhagavan concluded His Discourse with the Bhajan, Prema Mudhita Manase Kaho ...